1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a switch, and in particular to a multi-direction switch employed in portable electronic devices.
2. Description of the Prior Art
One such multi-direction input apparatus is disclosed in Japanese Publication for Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2002-343195 including a casing, which has a bottom wall disposed with a common contact; a first fixed contact, which is held by the casing; a first movable contact, which can be brought into or out of contact with the first fixed contact; a handle, which can be tilted in different directions to generate different electric signals; and a second movable contact, which touches the common contact. The first movable contact has a contact portion that touches the second movable contact. When the handle is tilted, the first fixed contact touches the first movable contact such that the conduction between the first fixed contact and the common contact is established through the first movable contact, the contact portion and the second movable contact, and a first electric signal is output.
The handle is actuated by outside force, the second movable contact and a cover of the multi-direction input apparatus. However, the handle is not supported by the casing. When the handle is titled, lack of balance often occurs in the multi-direction input apparatus. The first movable contact is combined with the handle by insert molding, thus the procedure of manufacture such multi-direction input apparatus is complex and the cost of manufacture is high.
Hence, an improved multi-direction switch is desired to overcome the above-mentioned shortcomings of the existing multi-direction input apparatus.